Quote:
Originally Posted by backofbeyond
Go on then Ian, put us out of our misery - tell us how it all worked out. ![Thumbup1](https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/images/smilies/thumbup1.gif)
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Well fancy that. I spent an hour resetting password and writing a long and witty response and only the first line was published.
I'll start again then......
Several things happened at about the same time. The courier company didn't collect the replacement engine, we met the secretary of the district governor and a bloke in Spain asked me to drive his slight accident damage range rover back to UK.
With this new situation and inside knowledge I felt it too stressful to do engine swap, due to time constraints. Decided to have car put back together, towed to ferry and throw myself on mercy of Europe Rescue, or whatever they were called .
One of the mechanics customers, now a "Facebook friend ", describing himself as "top cop" negotiated the price of tow truck and shouted down the phone to someone at the port.
Tow truck driver was brilliant, drove us on to wrong ferry first, as a joke, before jumping the queue and unloading us on the correct one.
Arrived Spain middle of night, pushed car on to quayside and went to bed. Couple of hours later polite tap at window was police officer doing welfare check. Within half hour of phone call to rac, or whoever, breakdown truck arrived.
The deal with repatriating vehicles is that value of vehicle has to exceed cost of said repatriation, assessment and valuation of vehicle to be done by local expert at customers expense. I'd "let go" by now and didn't want to throw any more money at it.
Courtesy hire car was so small, it took 2 trips to decant our possessions from dead car to our friends up the coast.
The lowest point was when Range Rover man failed to make rendezvous as arranged, despite numerous calls and messages sorting out details. He just disappeared, blocked me, didn't return calls.
Couldn't take hire car out of country so gave half our stuff away and arranged for our friend in France, who had encouraged our mad escapade, to meet us at Barcelona Airport. Back to his place, leaving our stuff at his, then hire car to dieppe, where we boarded ferry with what we could carry and dog. The dieppe Newhaven crossing is the only one that allows foot passengers with a dog.
Arrived in fUK at pub closing time, hotel and train/rail replacement bus service home next day. Splendid holiday .
Manged without a car for several months, until someone gave me a Honda Jizz. Had every intention of returning to Larache in it lastJanuary but the beloved had to undergo surgery & chemo. Then there was Lockdown. Euro tunnel tickets now booked for this coming January.... .